Cap for holders of materials



Dec. 6, 1955 R. A. FREDERICK 2,725,014

CAP FOR HOLDERS OF MATERIALS Filed April 14, 1953 INVENTOR.

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United States Patent CAP FOR HOLDERS OF MATERIALS Ralph A. Frederick, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application April 14, 1953, Serial No. 348,786

3 Claims. (Cl. 22292) My invention relates to caps for use on containers or holders such as dispensers of the collapsible-tube type or other types of containers, the cap being designed to retain the contents against discharge.

One object of my invention is to provide a retaining member or cap of the type referred to which, when applied to a holder or a receptacle, can be opened by the operators thumb applied to either end of the cap, the other end in such case being releasably hinged on the article to which the cap is applied.

Another object of my invention is to provide a cap that will have snap engagement at both ends with an article to which it is applied, the snap connection at each end serving as a hinge when the other end is raised.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a hinged cap for a dispenser of the collapsible-tube type, wherein the cap can be swung open from either end and provision is made for preventing smearing or spreading of the tube contents over substantial areas of the opposed faces of the cap and the tube end.

One of the forms which my invention may take is shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure l is an edge view of a fragmentary portion of a collapsible tube equipped with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the tube and its head, with the cap removed, but showing in full and in dash lines respectively the manner in which the cap can be raised at either end; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the cap entirely removed from the tube.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, I show a container 6 of the well-known collapsible-tube type having a blocklike head portion 7 that is provided with a discharge orifice 8 surrounded by a rib or flange 9. Rounded protuberances 10 are provided on the sides of the head 7 to serve as hinge elements.

A cap 11 has wings 12 at one end and 13 at the other end provided with holes or indentations that will snap on to the protuberances 10, the caps being made of a springlike material that may be either of metal or plastic, so that the wings will have enough give to snap into place and yet stifl enough to retain the cover closed, when the wings 12 and 13 are in engagement with the studs, against accidental dislodgement.

The cap 11 is pressed upwardly somewhat at its mid portion 14 to closely engage the orifice member 9, those portions of the cap to either side of 14 being closer to the top surface of the dispenser, when the cap is closed. This arrangement reduces smearing of pasty contents from the tube, to either side of the orifice 9, thus rendering the dis penser more sanitary and avoiding accumulation of dried 2,726,014 Patented Dec. 6, 1955 "ice material that would interfere with proper closing of the cap.

When the cap is in closed position on the dispenser, it can be opened from either end, by the thumb of the user. Thus if the end 12 is adjacent to the thumb of the user when he picks the tube up, he will simply press his thumb upwardly against the flange 15, thereby causing disengagement of the wings 12 from their studs 10 and the hinging of the cap at the wings 13.

When the user picks the tube up with the end 16 of the cap in the vicinity of this thumb, he will, of course, press up the edge 16 in which case the wings at 12 will function as hinge elements. The ends at 15 and 16 are undercut so that the cap can swing into parallelism with the tube and thus be well clear of the discharge orifice. Also, these ends 15 and 16 will serve as stop elements, to prevent too far swinging of the cap.

I claim as my invention:

1. A dispensing container comprising a body portion of the collapsible tube type, a head portion of elongated block-like form integral therewith and which protrudes upwardly and is of narrow width relative to the diameter of the body, the head being provided with hinge elements on opposite sides near its ends and also with a central discharge orifice that is surrounded by a rib approximately equal in diameter to the thicknes of the head, and a cap member having a pair of depending ears at each end, in position to straddle the said head portion and having hinge elements thereon that are yieldably engageable with the hinge elements on the head, whereby upon disengagement of the hinge elements at either end of the cap, the cap can be swung open on the hinge elements at its other end, the cap having depending flanges that are disposed closely along the sides of the head when the cap is closed.

2. A container as recited in claim 1, wherein the cap has a central recess to fit around the said rib and the cap flanges are of narrow width relative to the lengths of the said ears.

3. A dispensing container comprising a body portion of the collapsible tube type, a head portion of elongated block-like form integral therewith and which protrudes upwardly and is of narrow width relative to the diameter of the body, the head being provided with hinge elements on opposite sides near its ends and also with a central discharge orifice, and a cap member of channel form straddling the upper edge of the head and having a pair of depending ears at each end that straddle the head and have hinge elements that yieldably engage the other hinge elements on the head, whereby upon disengagement of the hinge elements at either end of the cap, the cap can be swung open on the hinge elements at its other end, the cap having depending flanges that are disposed closely along the sides of the head when the cap is closed and the flange edges of the channeled cap being of concave contour, in upward directions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,355,010 Strongson Oct. 5, 1920 1,989,159 Shiffman et a1 Jan. 29, 1935 2,164,885 Raiche July 4, 1939 2,250,977 Walker July 29, 1943 2,327,406 Dukehart, Jr Aug. 24, 1943 2,627,995 Waterman Feb. 10, 1953 

